


Team Mackerel

by WhimsicalCog



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:53:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23423503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsicalCog/pseuds/WhimsicalCog
Summary: In an bleak, apathetic world, what can people turn to other than romance? Enter the love game show: Team Mackerel.It’s the craziest, most extravagant, most dramatic show in the world- and somehow, Katio has found himself on it. Those that could weather the challenges of Team Mackerel are destined an everlasting, forever loving relationship. But if Kaito is supposed to fall in love, to be matched with his supposed “soulmate,” why was he paired with Kokichi Ouma?
Kudos: 1





	Team Mackerel

**Author's Note:**

> As you can probably tell, this is loosely based off of Dangan Salmon Team!
> 
> No direct spoilers, but there will be indirect references to the entirety of V3/all of Danganronpa in general, so it's recommended to have gone through all of V3.

“H-hey, get down from there! You could really hurt yourself, you know!”

“Shh! Quiet, Kaito! We’re in a library, _y’know_ ,” Kokichi hisses as he sways precariously from the top of a ladder. He tosses a large, hardcover book down at Kaito, and it hits his chest with a _thud_.

“Hey! Watch it!” Kaito cries, completely ignoring Kokichi’s comment. They were alone in here, anyway.

Still perched at the top of the ladder, Kokichi inspects the tower of books stacked on the ground next to Kaito. The books, barely balanced on top of one another, spiral upwards. The stack has gotten fairly high, reaching about three-quarters the height of the towering bookshelves surrounding the perimeter of the library. 

“The first stack seems pretty good. Start on the second one, right…there.” Kokichi points to a spot about a foot or two from where the first stack started.

“Forget it. Do it yourself this time.”

“Whaaaat? Aren’t lovers supposed to work together?”

“L-lovers!?”

Kokichi tilts his head innocently, yet his eyes pierce through Kaito’s. “Isn’t that what we’re here for? To fall in love?”

He wasn’t wrong about that. They are on _Team Mackerel_ , the world’s most popular reality show in history. Each year, Team Danganronpa- the creators of the show- selects sixteen teenagers to step on the campus of the Ultimate Academy for Love-Struck Juveniles, which features a casino, pool, specially catered rooms for each of the contestants, and more. Contestants are then made to go on a two-month-long extravaganza of dates, which can range anywhere from lax strolls around campus to quests to escape fantastical labyrinths.

It’s the craziest, most extravagant, most dramatic show in the world- or, as its creators claim- the entire universe. And somehow, Kaito has found himself on it.

He had secretly always dreamed of being on _Team Mackerel_. Everyone had. But when he had actually been invited, he’d been unsure if he should take the offer. It wasn’t that he was averse to romance. But his heart belonged to space, to exploring the universe. Astronaut training had been hell to get into, and it was just as much hell going through it. _Team Mackerel_ would stall all his progress. He couldn’t let something like love get in the way of all that he’d worked to achieve, could he?

To his own surprise, he could, and he did. Despite all Kaito’s reservations, he ended up taking Team Danganronpa’s offer. It meant postponing his adventures in space, but maybe- just maybe- it could offer him something in return. Love was supposed to be this one-in-a-million thing, right? So how could he not seize this opportunity?

_It’s just like… another frontier to conquer, right? An exciting, unique adventure. Who’d pass up on that?_

Kokichi only climbs halfway down the ladder before hopping down. “But… if you really don’t want to, at least take part in this somehow.”

“And do what?” Kaito asks, snapping himself out of his daze. Why is Kokichi bossing him around? And why is he just going along with it?

“I don’t know!” Kokichi chirps. “But I’m getting awfully bored here, just stacking books in silence.”

_Then why the hell are you doing it?_

Doubt is already beginning to cloud Kaito’s mind. Maybe sacrificing astronaut training wasn’t worth it. Could he really fall in love with someone like Kokichi Ouma? This is the first date, when they’re supposed to get to know each other and test the waters. But Kokichi seems far more interested in stacking books.

_Fall in love._ Kaito is surprised by his own causal use of the term. He’s felt the whole situation was bizarre from the moment he’d gotten the invitation to _Team Mackerel_ , but now, standing in the library of the Ultimate Academy, watching as his supposed-to-be-partner stacks book like a child, the reality of the situation just begins to hit him. This whole situation is being broadcast to the world, and if the show worked like it was supposed to, the whole process of him falling in love-if he even ended up doing so- would be displayed for everyone to watch. Every weird date, every inevitable fight, out there for everyone to watch and judge and gossip about. Suddenly, he feels… invaded, even though he knew what he was getting into, even though he’d casually enjoyed _Team Mackerel_ himself for years.

Kaito needs to distract himself from the odd dread beginning to settle in his bones. He’s never been the kind of guy to get tangled in his thoughts. Still gripping the book Kokichi had tossed at him, he walks to where Kokichi had pointed and places it.

Kokichi’s eyes shine. “Aww, I knew you’d come back!”

The two continue stacking. As the stack gets taller, Kaito has to lift Kokichi off the ground to place the next book. Then comes using the ladders. It’s tedious, but somehow both fall into a rhythm.

“Wow! You’re really good at this! Hey, Kaito, your skills would totally be useful in the Organization! You gotta join! You’ll be treasured as a really useful tool!”

Clearly, Kokichi is just mocking him. That’s all the guy had done, from the moment they’d been paired with each other. But Kaito takes the bait anyway.

“Hey, I’m no sidekick! I’m Kaito Momota- Luminary of the Stars!”

By now, the second tower of books is almost even with the first, the two stacks winding around each other. Even though he helped build the thing himself, Kaito isn’t quite sure how the structure hasn’t toppled over yet.

“Hey-hey-hey-Kaito! When we get outta here, and fall completely, _totally_ in love and stuff, you gotta take me out to space sometime, okay? You gotta do it, because I’ll be your leader!”

Before Kaito can respond, a bell rings.

“Official Announcement from the Ultimate Academy: it is now 10pm- Nighttime!” That bear- Monokuma- bounced into view on one of the many monitors littered throughout the school. The bear looked a little menacing for this love-game, even though he was cute in a way.

“Will things get _steamy_ on this first night? Upupupu...” And with only those few words, the monitor shuts off.

“Should we… get back to the dorms?”

“Wow, Kaito! So forward! I’m embarrassed!”

“N-no, dumbass! You know that’s not what I meant! To our own _separate_ dorms!”

“Aw… and I was really looking forward to seeing what your room is like!”

“Our rooms all look the same anyway-“

“You got me! That was a lie! I’d at least take you out to dinner first.”

Kaito is just learning to shrug off Kokichi when he gets like that. Why did he feel the need to act that way, in any case? Telling weird lies with twisted grins.

“But you’re right,” Kokichi continues, taking another look at the structure they’d created. “I think that’s good enough for today.”

Kokichi goes to the exit the library, leaving the stacks of books in the middle of the room, and Kaito follows without protest. He doesn’t feel like cleaning Kokichi’s mess, either. Besides, he had to admit the thing did look pretty cool, and he would feel kind of bad tearing it down.

The two walk together awkwardly. Well, it’s awkward for Kaito. Kokichi almost skips along, humming to himself and taking in the world around him. Kaito tries not to stare, but he’s uncertain what to do with himself. Should he try to start another conversation? Simply stare straight forward? As they continue their trek, Kaito has the growing feeling Kokichi is watching him, too.

It is only when they exit the building and Kaito glances up at the stars that the silence is broken.

“You know, the sky here just seems too perfect. It’s… kind of weird, actually.

“Hm?”

“Like, it feels like it’s not real.”

“Maybe it isn’t.”

“What?” Kaito found himself saying that word a lot lately.

Ouma shrugs, that teasing grin spreading across his face once again. “Maybe this sky isn’t real.”

“What the hell is that even supposed to mean?”

Kokichi doesn’t answer.

“It’s kind of weird in the first place, right?” Kaito moves on, not wanting them to fall into silence again. “This campus? I get we’re all high schoolers and everything, but isn’t it weird to host a game like this on a school campus?”

“Yeah, I get what you’re saying. I think a place like this would be more suited for a killing game.”

That wasn’t what Kaito had meant at all.

They arrive at the dorms, and Kokichi bounds to his door.

“Whew! Glad this is finally over!” Kokichi unlocks his door before turning back around. “…Just kidding! That was actually really fun! See-ya, Kaito!”

“H-hey!” Kaito stutters, but the door opens and shuts before he can fully get the word out. For a few moments, he just stands there, staring at the door that just shut in his face.

He needs fresh air. So instead of returning to his own room, Kaito walks outside and lays in the grass, staring at the too-perfect sky, not allowing himself to continue to overthink, until the weariness finally takes over him.


End file.
